Entering historic time for wildfire

As temperatures rise and rain becomes more scarce, Panhandle residents are in the middle of what is historically one of the most active times for wildfire activity.

Within the past four years, wildfires occurring between May 20 and May 30 have burned more than 1,000 acres in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.

Joe Zwierzchowski, wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Forest Service, said the early weeks of summer pose some of the greatest wildfire threats because of an abundance of fuel.

"A lot of what it is, is that we're seeing the full effects of spring and lots of new growth," Zwierzchowski said. "And down here, a lot of that new growth is full of oils and is just waiting to take a spark. Add that to the dry weather and wind and you've really got perfect conditions for a fire."

On this day last year, a fire broke out in a swampy area off Giese Lane in Escambia County and quickly spread on both sides of Blue Angel Parkway. That fire forced dozens of residents to evacuate their homes and went on to burn roughly 200 acres of forested land.

It's those kinds of fires Zwierzchowski wants Panhandle residents to try to avoid.

"A fire can start any number of ways," he said. "But the most common is from people burning debris. People have been working in their yards and want to burn their clippings. We've had countless people over the years tell us they just went inside for a minute, but you just can't turn your back on a fire."